Guest post from Maddy L
One of Australia's highest ranking diplomats Joe Hockey in his infamous first budget spoke of lifters and leaners while declaring the end of entitlement. Apparently, so determined was Joe not to remain a leaner, he arranged a pitch meeting with Helloworld. He “owed one” to the CEO, after all, and he owns over $1 million in Helloworld shares.
Disregarding Hockey’s hypocritical admonishments, the coalition formed the view that they're entitled to spend vast sums of money on their friends at Paladin, Indue and GRB Foundation. In the case of GRB Foundation, they weren't even pitched to.
The right wing rump of the coalition feels entitled to never ever confront any thought that is uncomfortable, especially about social justice and climate change.
Tim Wilson feels entitled to abuse the committee powers he has for fundraising and drumming up business for a firm he invests in! He feels entitled to deprive those in need in order to grant wealthfare to people ranging from the somewhat rich to the very rich.
Sexual harassment and assault, as we've seen again and again in politics, have at their heart an overblown sense of entitlement. Joyce, Foley, Briggs, Buchholz, Broad all felt entitled to grope whomever they wished to, with no regard for what their victims might want.
Perhaps most worryingly, the coalition feel entitled to win elections without having the policies or performance to make them attractive to voters. So strong is their sense of entitlement that they are planning an all out assault on democracy with voter ID laws that will disproportionately affect the young and the poor. Faced with so much scandalous LNP behaviour, this terrifying power grab has been going on largely unremarked.
As tempted as I am to view this behaviour as particular to the right of the political spectrum, both the ALP and Greens have also been afflicted. The Greens are embroiled in a long running sexual harassment saga. The ALP's recent Luke Foley scandal and many donation scandals show they are not immune.
If we want the age of entitlement to truly be over, voters must hold politicians accountable. Voters must be prepared to vote for what's right (or at least less wrong) rather than tax cuts and an excusal of white guilt. Voters also must demand a federal anticorruption body and donation reform.
by Maddy L
Maddy L is a concerned citizen of Earth who wants a safe world for her kid and everybody else's kids too..
@Maddy_Liz
